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...But he can be included with the few men to see Kira naked: Bareil, Shakaar, plus Odo of course.

I don't know about that. I'm sure Kira had to use her sex appeal on more than one occasion in the name of the resistance. We already know she likely had an affair with a Bajoran collaborator (in order to get close enough to kill him.)

She was also smart enough to send some horny Cardassian hoodlums to their doom with their pants around their ankles.

I would say Bareil, Shakaar, Odo and O'Brien are the only men to see Kira naked ... and live to talk about it.

I went back and forth about the score for this episode, I don't hand out five star reviews lightly (as you may have noticed), and I struggle to justify them to myself when I do, often focusing on minor flaws so I have some reason to strip the episode of half a star. And this episode does have some minor flaws to it, such as the randomness of the Klingons breaking the ceasefire and then reinstating it, or how it's sometimes a little wearying with the "war is hell" message. But this episode does one thing perfectly, and that is utilising a character that usually gets the least development and giving him a story that's meaningful, and which suits where he's at and where he's going.

Star Trek focuses so much time on Starfleet officers and the heroic deeds that they get up to that it's all too easy to forget that these people are supposed to represent the best that humanity (and alienity) have to offer. But what about the civilians, what about the carpenters, and the factory workers, and the writers? They just lives their lives doing normal things. Maybe they'll happen upon someone drowning one day and become an accidental hero by rescuing them, but for most of them the closest they come to heroism is reading about it in a book, or acting it out in the safety of the holodeck. Star Trek normally ignores these people, they're the extras in the background that run for cover while the heroes are shooting things. And there's nothing wrong with that, they're not cowardly for not wanting to be in the line of fire, but we're just so used to following the heroes that it comes across that way.

Jake's not a coward, and he's not a hero, and it's interesting watching him grappling with the complexities of just being normal. And while it may be a little too neat to end the episode with the message that Jake's willingness to admit he's not brave makes him brave in a different way, it's kinda true. I've had moments of cowardice in my life that I'm not going to write down and admit even anonymously over the internet, and I'll continue to overemphasise the moments of bravery I've had 'til the end of my days. Because I'm a coward like that. But perhaps my willingness to admit that I'm a coward about my cowardice really makes me brave? And does my willingness to mention my bravery just then really make me a coward? But does that make me brave?

For creating this never-ending loop of rhetorical questions, this episode earns five stars.

__________________...so many different suns...

"No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away." - The immortal Terry Pratchett

TheGodBen; you missed an opportunity to knock off half a star: that Starfleet guy who shot himself in the foot. That first scene with him was the worst case of overacting I've ever seen! Bad cast or bad directing; take your pick.

Other than that ...Nor the Battle to the Strong was a great episode, and it's nice to see a threat other than the Dominion being so effectively utilized.

Oh yeah another reason to knock off half a star: that scene with Dax and Sisko in the Defiant's engine room. It felt forced and a bit TNGish with Dax's insufferable optimism (geez I sound like Garak!).

I also think later on the writers missed a trick with Jake, because when they really thought about it (and worked hard; lazy buggers [Meridian, Rivals cough cough]) they came up with some of DS9s best episodes centering around Jake (Explorers, The Visitor and ...Nor the Battle to the Strong). They could have had more great episodes in the making if they made Jake into this private investigative journalist. Think about: Jake would interact with Quark more and the senior staff, Jake would get around, bring up the dirt on command decisions and important events and happenings (through 'sources'). Hell you could really push it and somehow get Section 31 involved with Jake discovering something top secret.

All those possibilities. This episode though is probably the last great episode with Jake taking center point, after that Jake gets left behind in the dust...

RIP Jake's character development, it never quite caught up with his physical development...

...
They could have had more great episodes in the making if they made Jake into this private investigative journalist....

That was one of the early story ideas behind In The Pale Moonlight. It would have been Jake narrating how he discovered Benjamin's misdeeds in his role as a reporter. But it was changed to Benjamin recording a log entry.

...
They could have had more great episodes in the making if they made Jake into this private investigative journalist....

That was one of the early story ideas behind In The Pale Moonlight. It would have been Jake narrating how he discovered Benjamin's misdeeds in his role as a reporter. But it was changed to Benjamin recording a log entry.

I once speculated on another story that could have happened with Jake in season 7. In fact it was spread over three episodes. Somewhere around mid-season, he could have been trying to do stories for the FNS but locked out of major command decisions for security reasons, so he would turn to non-combatant cultures for their perspectives - the Ferengi and the Bajorans. With the Ferengi he could have stumbled upon

Zek's resignation and plans to make Rom the new Nagus

and with Bajor we could have had an episode focusing more on

the pagh-Wraith cult and Jake's feelings about his father's place in Bajoran religion

.

And then towards the end of the season, in the Final Chapter arc...

On a tip from the contacts he made in the earlier episode, he could have investigated the mysterious disappearance of the kai's aide Solbor, the suddenness with which the Kai has cloistered herself away with a strange man, and rumours about some wacky ancient magic book. And in the course of following his leads, he could have ended up in the Fire Caves and witnessed his father's final confrontation with Winn and Dukat.

Just a few thoughts.

.

__________________
TrekLit/DS9-R fans! Want a different vision of the Ascendant conflict and the DS9 time gap?

I thought they could have gone into more seasons. It would have been interesting to see what the aftermath of the war would be like. And, I think there was a great deal to talk about Ezri Dax and maybe add new characters to give a more updated feel to the show.

Have thought of a story, that one of Kursans lost son or daughter came to the station to talk to Ezri. Not to tell her she or he was the child of Kursan Dax. They get along and the person dies of a natural death that everyone understood was goingto happen. Right after the death, Ezri finds out the person was the child of Kurson.